Automating the chaos
How I built DOP, a system designed to automate marketing campaign production that turned 2 days of repetitive work into 15 minutes of efficiency by translating, adapting, and exporting hundreds of assets across 13 languages and multiple formats in just a few clicks.
99%
Time saved per campaign
60+
Campaigns automated per year
13
Languages managed simultaneously
100%
Error reduction on exports & translations
From bottleneck to opportunity
At Vente-unique, weekly marketing campaigns require dozens of visual assets in up to 13 languages and multiple formats. For years, the process relied entirely on Photoshop, handled manually by a single graphic designer. It was slow, error-prone, and draining.
Frustrated by this archaic setup, I initiated a solution internally: a modular, multilingual automation system inside Figma. Internally named DOP (“Décli d’OP” – campaign declination engine), this tool now powers every campaign produced by the studio. What began as a side project has become a cornerstone of our marketing pipeline.
The slow, fragile, and repetitive legacy process
Before DOP, each campaign declination was done manually in Photoshop. Translations came from multiple inconsistent sources, copy-pasted by hand into each format. Designers spent hours repositioning text so it wouldn’t clash with the main visuals, resizing banners individually, and double-checking files against long lists of SKUs and formats.
One person typically handled it all. On average, each campaign declination took between 8 and 16 hours, often extended by errors or late-stage corrections. The error rate was so high that deadlines were intentionally anticipated by several days to leave room for fixes.
Rethinking the workflow from pain point to prototype
I spotted the issue on day one. Rather than blaming the workflow, I focused on building a solution using Figma’s newer capabilities: variables, component properties, modes, and Auto Layout. My goal was simple: remove as much repetitive work as possible so the team could invest their time in design quality instead of production friction.
I pitched the idea to my manager and quickly received unofficial buy-in.A fter a first working prototype, we validated the core concept, the project was greenlit and I started building a full-scale version of DOP.
Atomic, modular, and responsive system structure
DOP is structured using atomic design principles. Each element (titles, baselines, CTAs, buttons, labels) is a component with language and mode variants. These are assembled into master templates for each format, all fully responsive thanks to smart Auto Layout logic.
The visual asset (master campaign image) is placed once in a “mega-master” file and dynamically injected into all declinations via nested components. Pre-calibrated image masks ensure that every format displays the key subject correctly — no manual repositioning required.
Designers can toggle optional blocks like promotional banners, baselines, labels, and dark/light modes directly inside Figma using component properties. All layouts update instantly across languages and formats.
13 languages, no friction
Each text component is directly connected to a Google Sheet using an open-source tool (GoogleSheetSync). The system syncs translations in real time, replacing the need for copy-paste and eliminating errors at scale.
I designed every layout to flexibly adapt to linguistic variations, from short French CTAs to long Polish headlines. The responsive structure ensures optimal readability, no matter the language. The system also includes fallback behaviors and optional visual states depending on campaign needs.
Export and structure hundreds of assets in one click
I leveraged Figma’s native export system using structured naming conventions with nested slashes (/). This allowed me to generate all assets in a single batch export, already grouped by language, format, and campaign type — ready to deliver with no additional sorting.
This replaced the old Photoshop workflow, which required 26 manual exports and manual renaming. The exported files are fully usable by the studio team as-is, reducing production to a single final step.
Measured results
DOP reduced campaign declination time from 8–16 hours to just 15 minutes — a 99% time reduction. Errors from manual copy-paste and layout tweaks were virtually eliminated.
The system is now used daily by 5 to 6 designers and powers 50 to 60 campaigns per year, freeing up hundreds of hours annually. That time is now reinvested into crafting better, more creative campaign visuals instead of repeating tasks.
Real value for real people
DOP has transformed the studio’s production process. It removed tedious tasks, reduced errors to zero, and helped shift the team’s focus from execution to creation.
I continue to maintain and evolve the system with each major update to Figma. Now in its third version, it integrates new features and supports growing campaign needs. Other teams have asked for similar systems — a clear sign of its impact.
But more than the technical achievement, I’m proud that this project made people’s work easier, gave them time to breathe, and raised the creative quality of what we ship. That’s the kind of value I want to create.
June 2024
My part in this project: 100% design, strategy and project managment
Special thanks to my former manager Anthony, that pushed me to go beyond my ambitions and channeled my ideas into the creation of a real useful tool. Special thanks too, to Aurore, Faby, Hilary, Oleksandra, Nicolas and Kévin who helped me finding possible upgrades and bugs into the workflow.
